The Internet comprises a vast number of computers and computer networks that are interconnected through communication links, with information being exchanged using various services such as electronic mail, FTP, and the World Wide Web (or “Web”). The Web allows a server computer system (e.g., a Web server providing a Web site) to send graphical Web pages of information to a remote client computer system, which the remote client computer system can then display, such as via a Web browser executing on the client computer system.
In addition to merely providing access to information, the Web has increasingly become a medium that is used to search for, shop for and order items (such as products, services and/or information) that are for purchase, rent, lease, license, trade, evaluation, sampling, subscription to, etc. In many circumstances, a user can visit the Web site of a Web merchant (or a “Web store”) or otherwise interact with an online merchant or retailer or electronic marketplace that provides one or more items, such as to view information about the items, give an instruction to place an order for one or more items, and provide information needed to complete the purchase (e.g., payment and shipping information). After receiving an order for one or more items, a Web merchant then fulfills the order by providing the ordered items to the indicated recipient. The items may be products that are delivered electronically to a recipient (e.g., music downloaded over the Internet) or through physical distribution channels (e.g., paperback books shipped via a governmental postal service or private common carrier). The items may also be services that are provided either electronically (e.g., providing email service) or physically (e.g., performing cleaning services at the house of the purchaser). The order fulfillment process typically used by Web merchants for product items that are to be physically provided shares similarities with other item ordering services that ship ordered items (e.g., catalog-based shopping, such as from mail-order companies), such as to deliver ordered items from one or more physical distribution or fulfillment centers operated by or on behalf of the Web merchant.
Electronic commerce involving item acquisition transactions between a merchant and customers frequently involves the merchant interacting with one or more third-party payment processing systems (e.g., credit card payment processing systems, an ACH (“Automated Clearing House”) payment processing system, etc.) in order to obtain payment approval or guarantee for payment from a customer. When provided with information about a indicated payment amount (or an indicated amount to be reserved or held for later payment) and an indicated payment instrument (e.g., a particular credit card, bank or other financial account, etc.) for a particular person, such payment processing systems may respond with an approval of the amount (e.g., by obtaining payment or sending a guarantee of payment under at least some specified circumstances), a soft decline (e.g., when a credit card is over its limit, an expiration date is near or has been passed, or the payment instrument issuer is unavailable), or a hard decline (e.g., a credit card has been reported lost or stolen). Soft declines may be resubmitted for approval later, and often may be approved at that time if circumstances have changed. However, even if a payment processing system indicates approval for an order, payment may not be obtained in some situations if specified circumstances occur. For example, if a payment instrument being used is not physically inspected by a merchant, such as is typically the case for online merchants, the merchant may bear the risk of non-payment for credit card usage that is later determined to be unauthorized.
When payment is not immediately obtained or guaranteed, a merchant faces a dilemma of either proceeding to fulfill an order, but at the risk of not being paid, or of not fulfilling the order until payment is obtained or guaranteed, but at the risk of inconveniencing the customer and potentially losing their business. The dilemma is particularly problematic when a customer needs an item provided immediately. A payment guarantee or other payment approval may not be available at the time an order is placed for various reasons. For example, third-party payment processing systems may be inaccessible when the payment processing systems are not functioning, when the communication link between the merchant and the payment processing system is not functioning, or when components of the merchant's system that are used to assist or perform the interacting with the payment processing systems are not functioning.
Thus, it would be beneficial to provide techniques to assist merchants when payment for a transaction is not guaranteed, as well as to provide additional benefits.